1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to a suspendable holder for articles. More specifically, the articles held by the holder may include toiletries. The holder also may be foldable and portable.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Holders for articles such as toiletries are well known in the art. Rigid plastic and wire shower caddies are examples of toiletry holders that are common place and well known. A recognized problem with these caddies is that they are not easily foldable or portable, and do not hold toiletries in their original containers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,007,531, to Lighten, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a portable shower kit. It utilizes a pair of containers, each of which can be opened. In addition, the containers can be folded and attached to one another. The entire kit is adaptable for hanging. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,299,683, to Poole, which is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a hanging shower caddy that is in the form of an attache case. When opened, various toiletry articles are removably displayed and arranged in fastened form for use by the user. Another hanging shower toiletries kit is disclosed by Lindsey, U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,141, which is incorporated herein by reference. The kit disclosed in Lindsey is a plastic soap dish onto which appendages have been added for holding toiletries such as a razor, a mirror, and several bottles. An aperture on the soap dish also provides means for holding a drinking cup.
Although the prior art patents as disclosed address the problem of transporting toiletries, none of the prior art patents enable the user to utilize soap, shampoo, lotion containers and the like in their original forms and sizes. Rather, the prior art patents require the user to transfer the toiletry item from the prepackaged container into the containers provided by the caddy. In addition, all of the prior art caddies are rigid and bulky. Moreover, the prior art patents do not disclose bath and shower caddies that are adaptable for holding unusual items associated with bathing, such as bath toys for use by children or by adults bathing children.
Therefore, a need remains for a portable article holder that is suspendable, lightweight, foldable, water resilient, mildew proof, capable of holding toiletries in their original containers, and adaptable for holding unusual bathing items.